Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 112 total)
  • Embarassed having top kit when you ain't much good?
  • oldgit
    Free Member

    I've been meaning to ask this for ages,this doesn't apply so much to mountainbikingmore the road.
    I've mentioned before I'm a keen racer but more of a field filler 6th in an open road race was my best.
    Anyway I would feel mildly embarassed if I turned up to race with the best I could buy, does anyone else feel the same? it's as if Ultegra was made for me 😕

    Obviously everyone doesn't feel the same way. I recall getting back into cross last year and rushing for the start because I saw all these wonderfull bling bikes lined up it was a Ti, carbon and Yeti fest. Turned out these were novices? Then a few weeks back I was oggling a full on uber blinged Orca at the start of a RT, I got to oggle it a few minutes later as it was the slowest riden bike out there.
    Anyway?

    druidh
    Free Member

    😐

    oldgit
    Free Member

    Though strangely if I was to never race again it wouldn't bother me to ride something top of the range on Sunday pootles.

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    Bregante
    Full Member

    some people may consider my bike to be WAY beyond my ability, however I like it and I couldn't give a toss what anyone else thinks. Ride what you want to ride, not what somebody else thinks you deserve :D.

    RealMan
    Free Member

    I think I might be on the other end of the spectrum, where what I'm usually racing on is the bottom kit. Its a good feeling, going past someone on a top level £4k bike on your £100 second hand decathlon. I've always thought that you should be worth the bike – if you're not going to push the bike to its limits, its a waste.

    ddmonkey
    Full Member

    I've pretty much given up being embarrased, within reason. I'm getting to old for it and can't be bothered.

    Aidan
    Free Member

    If you've got white shoes on a MTB, then you'd better be quick!

    Other than that, I think people should spend what they feel comfortable with.

    anotherdeadhero
    Free Member

    I'd say I'm equally embarrassed by my hopeless performance as I am my shoddy battered kit on the road race scene. There is an awful lot of blingle kit used.

    badnewz
    Free Member

    All the gear and no idea?

    _tom_
    Free Member

    I do find it a bit embarrasing but at the same time its my bike and I'll ride what I want! tbh if I rode anything cheaper/less "hardcore" I wouldn't feel as safe on it, with Pikes and 20mm front axle I feel like its not gonna let me down any time soon.

    crikey
    Free Member

    It used to be that you had a race bike and a training bike, but now I'm not racing I use a far better bike than I would race on. Race bikes are tools, and get battered, I can take more care of my best bike…

    druidh
    Free Member

    I like spending lots of my spare cash on blingy bike bits, even though I'm an unfit old bloater.

    Edit: That's one of the advantages of being a retired banker

    TomB
    Full Member

    Did my first MTB event recently. What struck me more was not the bling bikes at the back of the field, which I have no issue with, but the numpties who act like they're lance armstrong, swearing, shouting out their excuse for yet another dab, pushing their way past etc when clearly not threatening the top 100. I think it's attitude, not kit, that's embarrassing. have to say, though, there were only a few of these folks, most were very chilled!

    SuperScale20
    Free Member

    No way people can ride what they want why any should care god knows, jealousy springs to mind though. I love looking at awesome bikes and have never cared what the rider uses for.

    fbk
    Free Member

    Hmm. As a student, I used to love going to XC races on my old orange HT & storming past the occasional "AGNI" on a full sus Hope/titanium-blinged Marin – it gave me a real boost on the climbs.

    Now a days, I've got the blinged up full sus and, whilst I can fend off most when gravity's on my side, I do lag behind on the climbs a bit. I don't really care though – I'm enjoying my riding and good on the yoof if they pass me on their £100 SS fixie :)…

    …I'll catch em on the DH again 😈

    As for road racing – that's a different kettle of fish. I'll stick to my Sportive Rides on my not-so-bling Planet X I think 🙂

    fbk
    Free Member

    And I agree with TomB – it's the attitude that's the most important aspect of people's riding.

    khani
    Free Member

    another old fart here with some nice kit, but i earn it and i dont piss it up the wall or stuff it up my nose, and the bills are paid, so nice kit it is,
    no pockets in a shroud

    stevede
    Free Member

    ride what you can afford to and what you want not what someone else thinks you should. Makes me smile seeing novices with all the gear and no idea but its all money back into the bike industry so no probs. No different than a rich bloke buying a nice sports car and not being able to drive it like the stig can.

    radoggair
    Free Member

    If you've got white shoes on a MTB, then you'd better be quick!

    Hey, i've got white shoes!!

    Anyway, it doesn't matter. RAcing is a different kettle of fish anyway. My 5 spot cost nearly double of my race bike but it has a different purpose. Think its more rider attitude TBH Generally at a race you'll place yourself on the grid depending on how well you think your gonna do and if its a race or just how quick you want to do it in.

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    I'm normaly too busy enjoying myself to even notice what anyone else is riding.

    Maybe folks that think someones bike is too good for them should tell them face to face instead of from behind a keyboard…

    oldgit
    Free Member

    Super Scale it's not other people I have an issue with, I love to look at the kit. It's me. My best mate gets kit trade but I always get bits to match my capabilities. Take for example the training bike I'm knocking up for late season winter and spring, it'll have Sora because that's all I'll need.
    Though it could be inverted snobbery.

    Edit: singlespeedstu, again I'm not talking about 'the other person' I'm asking if anyone else feels slightly uncomfortable within themselves for having nice stuff. And as I said I don't feel like that about my mountainbike, my last singlespeed frame cost three times as much as my road race frame.

    simonralli2
    Free Member

    What are we going to do? Ask people to take a riding proficiency test and then limit their spending on bikes to certain brackets? If that were the case I would never be able to get anything other than a a bike shaped piece of metal from Tesco!

    keavo
    Free Member

    ultimately, if you paid for it then have whatever bling you want. i'm getting old (42) and have some nice gear that i paid for. i raced on average gear for years and won a few events. i don't care who thinks i'm too crap for my bikes now, i reckon i'm worth it.

    oldgit
    Free Member

    Whoa hang on, is my post not clear?
    Ride whatever the hell you want. I was asking if anyone like me feels embarassed with themselves at times when they turn out on something top spec.

    OmarLittle
    Free Member

    I dont get embarrassed by the bikes i ride its how i ride them that embarrasses me. Or how big my arse looks in lycra 😀

    If i see someone alot slower than me out on a great bike then i dont feel envious at least they are out riding and enjoying their bike. I've got a mate who has a couple of super blingy bikes and they ride them twice a year, if that. That just seems wrong, like some millionaire buying a ferrari 250 gto and sticking it under a cover in their garage rather than ever driving the thing.

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    again I'm not talking about 'the other person' I'm asking if anyone else feels slightly uncomfortable within themselves for having nice stuff

    Why the **** should you. You've paid for it with your own cash so go out and enjoy it.

    pixelmix
    Free Member

    I think I would feel embarassed if riding around on an uber niche top end bike with no skills, but I have mid range skills and a mid range bike. I do enjoy catching people up on the downhill bits at Glentress (not exactly gnarly I'll admit) when I'm on the rigid singlespeed whilst they ride their 5" £2,000 bikes though. I'd be embarassed if it was the other way round, but really, as long as you have a good time riding what you have, I supposed you shouldn't be embarassed.

    keavo
    Free Member

    oldgit, get yourself some nice kit. you must have been riding for years, you deserve it.

    Amos
    Free Member

    I've all the kit and I'm still sh1t! Ah well been riding mountain bikes for 20 years and it's my only past time other than my family, so if I wanna spend my cash on the good stuff why not?
    I even find it funny when people on total wrecks cruise past me, doesn't embarass me in the slightest, I rode sh1t boxes for long enough, I now ride a bike that has far too much travel and bling for nearly all the riding I do but I love it 🙂

    jamesgarbett
    Free Member

    Why not, it's just a hobby, spend/ride what you like.

    It could be worse you could spend it on drink/drugs/women/fast cars/etc.

    Oh, hang on… 😀

    andyl46
    Free Member

    I have a bling bike, and will never threaten the leaders in any race. Embarassed? Nearly as much as I am when I consider i own a 3 bedroomed house and there's only two of us in it, ie not at all.

    oldgit
    Free Member

    Hmmm well it's how I feel, perhaps it's that mid bunch mentality spilling over which would explain why Idon't feel the same way when it comes to mountainbikes.

    The other thing (looking for excuses here) is that racing really batters the kit so it might be a bit of sensible economics at play.

    Keavo, when I stop racing I'mbuying a Dura Ace Colnago Master to go in the garage.

    keavo
    Free Member

    but when will you stop? just have all the nice gear you want now. as long as you can afford it after lifes more mundane expenses.

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    If you can afford wine, drink wine.

    oldgit
    Free Member

    When will I stop?
    I'm 50 now and I want to be racing road and cross untill I'm at least 65. One of the guys I've ridden with is 75 and still kicks bottom (though he is an ex GB rider)

    I must admit I was thinking about getting something a bit better than what I have (PX Carbon, Ultegra 10 speed, FSA Carbon post, c/stem, c/wing bars and carbon chainset) then I thought what if it wasn't as good 😐

    stonemonkey
    Free Member

    My excuse is that i'm a crap rider because i always worked hard so i can afford a posh bike but just dont have time to ride it 😀

    keavo
    Free Member

    so going back to your 1st post. anybody who is fortunate enough to be genetically pre disposed to being an athlete is more deserving than you to have high quality gear. nonsense… i think anyone who will ride the stuff and look after it and get pleasure out it shouldn't be embarrased at all about owning it. get what you want, but open up your choices and don't be limited by what you think a mid-pack rider should have.

    epicsteve
    Free Member

    I work hard and am now in the fortunate position that I can afford some nice kit, especially given I don't drink, do drugs or have any other particularily expensive hobbies.

    That means that I have bikes that are specced well beyond what I actually need, however I enjoy having them and do ride use them a lot. I also like building up and maintaining my bikes.

    oldgit
    Free Member

    Well ok I've got the Madison 2010 Trade Catalogue in front of me. And those nice people at Canada Life just gave me a nice lump sum as my pension has kicked in.
    Can't promise I'll do anything other than look.

    clubber
    Free Member

    Thing is, I used to be pretty damn quick and so a decent bike was no cause for embarrasment. Now I'm very slow but I'm not exactly going to downgrade my bikes so I'll stick with kit that's much better than my (current) ability, thanks 😉

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 112 total)

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